recouvert

Recouvert is the masculine singular past participle of the French verb recouvrir, meaning to cover again or to coat. As an adjective it describes something that has been covered or coated, often by a subsequent layer. The feminine singular is recouverte; the masculine plural recouverts; the feminine plural recouvertes; these forms agree with the noun they modify.

Etymology: Recouvrir is formed from the prefix re- meaning again or anew, together with couvrir to cover. The term is used in domains where layering or re-layering is involved, reflecting the idea of a surface or object that has been covered more than once.

Usage: In everyday French, recouvert describes surfaces or objects that have been overlaid by another material: a table recouverte de papier kraft; un mur recouvert de peinture; la chaussée recouverte d'asphalte. It is common in art, construction, painting, and scientific descriptions to indicate a coating or topping. In geology or archaeology, it can denote layers that lie atop older material, for example strata recouvertes par une nouvelle couche.

See also: related terms include recouvrir (to cover again), recouvrement (the act or process of covering or the layer that results), and, in English-language contexts, translations such as "recoated" or "covered again."